Yesterday, I posted a comment in praise of the British National Health service. Polls show that British people overwhelmingly oppose the privatisation of the National Health Service, which has been surreptitiously proceeding under the right-wing Tory government. In 2017 a YouGov survey found that 84% were against it, and I suspect that that opinion hasn’t changed an iota. Suspicion remains that gradual privatisation is a front for an attempt to “dismantle the NHS”.

On the other hand, the private sector is now embedded in an NHS which can ill afford to sacrifice any of its capacity. And as The King’s Fund think tank puts it: “Provided patients receive care that is timely and free at the point of use, our view is that the provider of a service is less important than the quality and efficiency of the care they deliver.”

My comment: Yes, but while good doctors should be amply rewarded, everything depends on attitude and ability of the staff, their calling and dedication. It is very unlikely, for instance, that there could be doctors more attentive and caring in the private sector than there are at my local NHS surgery. The commitment there to patients of all origins and ages is wonderful. I fear that the lust for money, that is a hallmark of private medicine, is not going to result in a healthier nation.

P.S. When you get old you begin to learn a lot about the medical world!